The Arabization Project

Many observers believe the conflict is fundamentally about identity and arabization:

The philosophy of the Sudanese Administration since al-Turabi has been to arabize Sudan. Both Burhan and Hemeti are seen as purveyors of pan-Arabism and arabization of Sudan. So in as much as they are fighting each other, from some quarters they are seen to be ideological twins.

This represents a new form of colonialism - Arab nationalist forces funded and armed by the United Arab Emirates attacking black African tribes. It's not just a power struggle between warlords; it's an ethnic conflict with genocidal dimensions.

The Ethnic Targeting

The RSF's actions mirror those of the Janjaweed militia they emerged from:

1. Systematic targeting of Fur, Masselit, and Zagawa peoples
2. Mass killings based on ethnicity
3. Destruction of non-Arab villages
4. Attempts to change the demographic makeup of Darfur
5. Use of the term "abid" (slave) against black Sudanese

The United States' genocide determination against the RSF specifically cited their attacks on Darfur's non-Arab population, echoing the genocide of 20 years ago.

The Historical Pattern

This ethnic dimension has deep roots:

1. The slave trade's legacy associating blackness with slavery in Northern culture
2. Arab identity being privileged over African identity
3. Marginalization of non-Arab groups from power
4. Economic exploitation of regions inhabited by non-Arab peoples
5. Cultural erasure through arabization policies